The anger generated by the knowledge that in the UK only one prisoner since 2007 has been granted access to artificial insemination shows there is very little public support for prisoners starting a family while behind bars. Many people feel angry at the prospect, and think that when an individual is convicted of a crime, he or she should lose all of their rights, including the right to start a family.
. . . Nevertheless, is it the role of society to decide who should and who should not become a parent? Apart from when one seeks access to fertility treatment, there is no test one has to pass, nor questions that one has to answer to become a parent. When a prisoner is prevented from having children, his or her opportunity to do so may be lost. The innocent partner of the prisoner may also suffer 'collateral damage' as a result of restrictions placed upon their relationship. Many of these restrictions could be considered an inevitable consequence of imprisonment, but refusal of access to fertility services does not have to be one of them. The financial cost to the UK's Prison Service itself is minimal, and its involvement ceases once the semen sample has been handed over to the fertility clinic. BioNews
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